Wear and friction behaviour of UHMWPE - Alumina combination for total hip replacement

The wear and friction behaviour of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) against high purity fine grained alumina, the ideal material combination for total hip joint prosthesis, were studied under different contact pressures and sliding velocities using a pin-on-disc type wear and friction monitor. The wear heights in wet conditions were found to be much lower than those in dry conditions, which followed a power law relationship with load after 3-5 km of sliding. Efforts were also made to find out the sequence of dominating wear mechanisms. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited and Techna S.r.l.